The Broken and the Beaten
by AeroBalance
Summary: Serverus is going back to Hogwarts for his 5th year... but he only has one thing on his mind... Lily Evans. Will he find his happiness within her, or will his world come tumbling down in this fan-fiction of Harry Potter?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 ~ The Beginning

"Oi! Snape! Watcha got there?"

Severus stopped in his tracks, back facing the speaker. He knew who it was, he knew what he wanted, and he wasn't about to let him have it. Severus clutched his journal in his hands.

"Nothing, just a notebook for divination…" He said quietly.

"I think you're lying to me, Snapey," said James, "I think you've got yourself a diary! Why don't you let us read it, hmm?" James advanced toward Severus whose back was still turned.

Severus whirled around and screamed wildly, "Winggardium Leviosa!"

James was hoisted into the air by an invisible force and was stuck there, yelling and thrashing. "You've done it now, Snape! You've crossed the line," he exclaimed while Severus made a mad dash for home, "I'll get you, you hear? I KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE!"

When Severus finally arrived at his gate, he stood there and looked at his pitiful house. The exterior walls were shaven bare of paint by harsh winds and the flowers desperately needed to be watered. The shingles were falling off the edges of the roof and the glass of the front window was shattered. He didn't bother to go through the front door, he didn't want to see his parents. He climbed through his window as he usually did and stood in his chamber, cold and lonely.

He sat down on his lumpy mattress which lay bare on the hard cement floor and pulled out the quill from inside the binding of his journal. There he wrote:

Septermber 1, 1971

Why must my life always be so difficult? I only hope things will get better soon. I am waiting to leave for the train to Hogwarts, my bags are already packed. I am not looking forward to my 5th year of school, for I know what is in store. The only thing that makes my day any brighter is the thought of seeing her. Oh, sweet Lily Evans. Her hair is like the red rose in the garden, which stands apart from the other shriveling and dying flowers. I love her with all of my very soul. I only wish she did the same… perhaps this year she will think of me more than her best friend, but I fear she will find me a fool.

Severus put down his quill, the excess ink running onto his bumpy pillow. He sighed and rested his head in his hands, his dark hair falling over his face.

Suddenly, he heard a faint tapping on his window. He lifted his head to see Lily, her beautiful green eyes smiling at him from behind the dusty glass. He frantically put his journal under the ink-stained pillow and proceeded to the window. He opened it carefully and smiled at the love of his life.

"Hello, Severus," said Lily, climbing through the window, "How was your day?"

"Very fine, thank you," replied Severus, "Yours?"

Lily ignored Severus' question and stated, "I heard about what you did to James," She sat herself on the windowsill.

Severus looked at his feet and put his hands in his pockets. He knows he shouldn't have done magic, and was very stupid of him, but he was close with someone in the ministry, so he normally got let off the hook for these kinds of things. He shuffled his feet awkwardly, embarrassed.

"I thought it was really cool that you stood up for yourself, Sev."

Severus looked up, confused. "You did?"

"Yes, of course! James Potter is a stinky ol' rodent! You taught him a lesson!"

"Oh, well… I… It was…"

"It was amazing Sev! I wish I could have been there to see it." She kicked her feet slightly as she sat, her skirts falling over the edges of the sill. She looked at the clock at the far end of the room,

"Oh no!" She exclaimed exhaustingly, "I must be going if I'm going to catch the train." She lifted herself off of the windowsill and ran over to Severus, giving him a soft hug. He hugged her back, not wanting to let her go. She pulled away and ran to the window. With one leg out, she said rapidly, "Goodbye Severus! I'll see you on the train!"

Severus watched her as she ran away, and he sighed once more and mumbled to himself, "Goodbye Lily."

He walked to his chamber door and pulled it. It was locked as usual. He waited for his mother to unlock all 7 latches on the door and drag him to the car, throwing his bags carelessly in the trunk. He carried his owl, Plit, in his lap and watched the flashing images of Godrics Hallow through the window of his parents' car.

When they arrived at the Train Station, he grabbed his things from the trunk and was immediately greeted by dust and pebbles that were being thrown at him from the wheels of this parents' car. He was alone.

Severus made his way into the station, set his things on a luggage cart and traversed through the swarm of people rushing to catch their trains. He found the brick wall which led to platform 9 ¾ and without looking to see if anyone was watching or not, hurtled toward the wall at top speed. He slid through the portal with ease and skidded on his heels to avoid hitting a passer-byer.

"ALL ABOARD! ALL ABOARD! THE TRAIN TO HOGWARTS WILL BE LEAVING IN PRECISELY 12 MINUTES! STUDENTS WILL NEED TO CHANGE INTO THEIR ROBES ON THE TRAIN! FOOD AND DRINKS WILL BE SUPPLIED TO ALL WITH MONEY! NO EXCEPTIONS! IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE-"

Severus ignored the rest of what the conductor was saying as he rushed toward the bright black train.

"Whoa there, Snively," Sirius said as he stepped out in front of Severus, almost causing them to collide, "Why so hurried?"

"Look, I really don't have time for this-"

"Oh ho ho! Don't have time, eh? Well make time, Porky 'cause I wanna have a… little chat." Sirius smiled wryly and walked around the luggage cart toward Severus. He put his arm around him and began talking, "I heard watcha did to James, Snively and I don't think it was very funny. Now, if yah wanna get off the hook, you can gimme all the moldy knuts in your pocket,"

Severus dug his hands deep into his pockets, and turned them inside out. They were both empty. "Sorry, I don't have anything. I suppose you're going to have to buy your own food, Black."

"Oh please, don't humor me. Of course I won't have to. I'll get it from some other nerd, but you still need to pay the price, Snape," Sirius looked at Severus' luggage, "and I think this will do just nicely." He grabbed Plits' cage and examined it.

"HEY! That's my owl! You can take her!" Severus advanced toward Sirius, only to be pushed onto the ground. He hit the ground hard, hitting his elbow against a wall.

"Fine you big baby, you can have your sickly lookin' owl! But Snively, dear, you may have to repack your bags!"

"Wh-Why?"

Sirius kicked Severus' luggage cart and his suitcase came crashing to the floor, its' contents strewn about.

"I think I'll take this instead," said Sirius, gesturing toward Severus' journal.

"NO! Give that back!"

"Oh, I don't think I will. See you on the train, Snape."

With that, Sirius walked away with Severus' things and boarded the train. Severus got up and was frantically trying to stuff everything into his bag.

"ATTENTION! THE TRAIN TO HOGWARTS WILL BE LEAVING IN PRECISELY THREE MINUTES! EVERYONE ABOARD THE TRAIN NOW!"

He finally put his last item into his bag and ran toward the train, owl cage in hand. The conductor gave him a dirty look as he boarded. He was looking for an empty compartment when he overheard someone reading something in a mocking sort of tone. The voice, coming from the compartment to Severus' left, said, "Oh, sweet Lily Evans. Her hair is like the red rose in the garden, which stands apart from the shriveling, dying flowers. I love her with all of my very soul!"

Severus stopped dead in his tracks. "Oh no," he thought to himself. He made his way to the door from which the sound was coming from and slid it open. As he expected, James, Peter, and Remus were listening to Sirius read from his journal. They all looked at him and burst out laughing.

"Snively loves Lily! Snively loves Lily!"

"Oh, Porky! You got yourself a girlfriend?"

"You should wash your hair before you even think about having a girlfriend!"

Severus was getting very aggravated. He marched into the room and made a grab at his journal. Sirius yanked it away and held it up to high for Severus to reach it.

"Jump for it, Snively, jump!"

"Awhh is Porky gunna cry?"

Then, the door slides open again. This time, Lily walks into the room and slaps Sirius across the face. She grabbed Severus' journal and shouted, "You all should be ashamed of youselves! Come on Sev."

She grabbed him by the wrist and they walked out together, while the group whistled and laughed at them. They found an empty compartment and sat down.

"I'm sorry Lily," said Severus, "I didn't mean for you to see any of that."

"Oh please, Sev, they were being unbelievable rude! And besides, I couldn't let my best friend be harassed like that," She handed his journal back to him, which he slid into his luggage. They sat silently for a moment, listening to the train run.

"How much of that did you hear?" Severus asked.

"It doesn't really matter, all that matters is that you're alright, and that we're together," She rested her hand on his and smiled. They sat there like that for a moment and she slowly got up. "I have to go change into my robes now, I'll see you at the Grand Feast." She left Severus to himself, as he usually was. He stared at his hand and sighed.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 ~ Hogwarts

It was cold and windy when the train arrived near Hogwarts, the air filled with enchantments. Severus gathered his things and proceeded off of the train and into a thestral-powered buggy. He sat in silence with a few other Slytherins. He wasn't very social, and neither were they.

When they got to the castle, the usual hustle and bustle made Severus nervous. He never really liked crowds. All of the students filed into the Great Hall. He sat down on the wooden bench with all of the Slytherins. He peered across the room and looked over heads to try to find Lily. He couldn't see her.

Dumbledore made his way across the room and stood himself behind the podium in front of the teachers' dining quarters. He then greeted us all,

"Welcome to Hogwarts, everyone! I assume your trip here was pleasant? It is a magnificent night out tonight, the stars are in perfect alignment for such a glorious occasion. We are just going to wait for the first years to arrive… ah yes! Here they are. Welcome! Welcome! Professor McGonagall, please bring out the stool and the Sorting Hat!"

Severus looked around the room again and finally found Lily, and to his disgust, she was sitting next to James Potter. James was looking at Lily, and Severus didn't like that. He quietly and stealthily slid off of his seat and to the floor. He army crawled all the way to the Gryffindor table where he sat himself down between James and Lily.

"Sev! What are you doing here," Lily whispered, "Dumbledore will catch you! I don't think it would be good for your reputation if you were to loose points to Slytherin before the house competition even started!"

"Yeah Snivellus! Go back to your crappy table!"

"James quit being such a prick! Sev, you can stay here if you want but we just have to be really –"

Just then, Dumbledore walked over to the trio and asked, "Hmm, a Slytherin at the Gryffindor table? Well this isn't right, is it? Let's rectify this immediately."

Severus got up and walked slowly back to the Slytherin Table, his spot already filled with a new first year. He couldn't find anywhere to sit, so he decided to stand next to the table.

"Well that's better, now isn't it? Now let's resume our sorting duties."

Severus stood there awkwardly, trying to ignore the stares and snickers that were emanating from every table. He watched as Dumbledore slowly returned to the podium, his face just as calm as it had been before.

"Proceed, Professor McGonagall," he said quietly.

The Professor then applied the beaten hat to a young girls' blonde head. Severus noticed people were still pointing at him and laughing. He looked all around the great room. It was almost everybody. Then, from the Gryffindor table, he heard…

"Ha Ha! Snively's robe has a huge hole in the front! What a loser!"

He looked down and sure enough, there was a gaping hole in the middle of his robe, his Quiddich underwear fully visable. It must have torn when I was crawling to the Gryffindor table. He thought. He pulled the front of his too-small robe together and hurried out of the great hall. He fled down the long corridor, the faint sound of the sorting hat rumbling in his ears. Severus nearly tripped on his way down the winding dungeon stairs into the Slytherin common room. He flung himself onto his cot and began to silently weep, tearing off the ripped fabric, and eventually, his underwear too.

Standing alone, stark naked, Severus made his way to his trunk to grab a new robe. He yanked it out and felt something light fall on to his bare foot. As he put his arms through his clothes, he bent down to pick it up. It was a letter from Lilly! She must have snuck it into his trunk when he wasn't looking. It read,

Dear Sev,

I just wanted you to know that I did hear what the boys were saying on the train… did you really mean what you said? Oh, it was beautiful. Just to know someone thinks of me that way is just the best thing anyone could ever give someone. I need to talk to you. Meet me in the Astronomy Tower at 11:00. Don't get caught! -Lilly

Severus' heart dropped into his stomach. Lilly had heard, but she still wants to see him again? He thought it was absurd! Shouldn't she be disgusted? Severus didn't understand, but he wasn't about to stand Lilly up.

He left his dormitory at 10:55, later than he hoped. He had been fiddling with his hair, straightening his robes and looking himself over in the mirror. He sped through the corridors as quickly as silence would allow him, up the winding stairs to the Astronomy tower. He didn't see Lilly. The room was dark and shadows were cast on the walls of various objects, making everything dark. He crept into the room quietly and cautiously. As soon as he had gotten a few feet from the door, it slammed shut. Severus jumped and whirled around, looking for whoever had shut it, but they were obscured by a dark shadow created by the curtains on the arched window. Severus backed against a far wall. I bet it's James playing a trick on me. How could I have been so dumb. Lilly would never think of me more than a friend. Stupid, Stupid.

"Look, James," said Severus nervously, "I don't want to play games tonight-"

But he was interrupted by a faint giggling. Lilly stepped out of the recess of the shadow.

"I'm not James, silly. Where did you get an idea like that?"

"Well, I mean… you… uhh… you…"

She made her way across the room to Severus and took both of his hands in hers, looking straight into his black eyes. She squeezed his fingers gently and said smoothly,

"Sev, I love you".

Severus' mind whirled around the words she had just spoken. She loves me. She loves me! He tightened his grip on her hands and smiled, his ears turning red. He didn't know what to say. Well he did know, but he didn't know if he could actually say it. He stumbled over his words, trying to make his lips move correctly. They didn't seem to want to work right. It was then that she kissed him.

Sweet warmth erupted in Severus' body, starting at his fingertips and ending in his toes. He removed his hands from hers, still locked into the kiss, and moved them to the small of her back. Her form pressed against his, silhouetted in shadows on the wall. He was considerably taller than Lilly, so she had to stand on her toes to reach him. Severus thought of how uncomfortable that must be, so he pulled away from her lips and picked her up as if a groom might his bride. He just looked at her, and she looked back, and a smile flashed across both of their faces as they realized, this is where they were meant to be- in each others arms.

He set her on her feet and together, hand in hand, walked to the great window on the far side of the tower. They stood there, looking out into the night. A warm silence fell between them. They thought of nothing, except the twinkling stars and the glow of the moon.

After a few hours, they decided to sit on the ground, Lily's body embraced his as she started to drift off into a quiet slumber. Severus had just fallen asleep when he heard a blood-curdling scream emanating from a place unknown. He sat bolt upright and noticed Lily wasn't by his side! He whirled his head around the room, but couldn't find her. Oh my dear God.

"Lily," He wailed, "Where are you?"

"Severus!"

He jumped to his feet and ran toward the sound of Lily's voice, his footsteps echoing on the hollow floor.

He found her, standing on a chair in the corner of the tower, with a large stick in her hand.

"Lily! Oh Lily you scared me half to death!"

"RAT! THERE'S A RAT, SEVERUS!"

Sure enough, a huge brown rat skidded across the room, right towards Severus, hissing. He jumped to the side to avoid it biting him, but it stopped dead in its tracks and followed him. He ran towards Lily and lifted her off of the chair and into his arms. He hurried across the tower and flung himself and Lily through the door. He quickly turned and slammed the door shut, just as the vicious rat had reached it. He heard a faint bump and some squeaking, and then it was all over. They sat there for a moment and caught their breath.

Just as they had gotten up, they heard two sets of footsteps ascending from the stairs, and some faint mumbling. They both quickly hid behind a stone column that was situated just outside the door of the Astronomy Tower. They tried to slow their breathing and stay as quiet as possible.

"Yes, yes, some screams too."

"Better not be any students out of their dormitories, especially at this hour."

"Who in their sane mind would want to be awake at 4 o'clock in the morning?"

"Foolish kids, I'd say, wanting to commit to some late night mischief. "

As the two voices reached the door, Lily and Severus both held their breath, waiting for a chance to escape from behind the stone pillar. As soon as the two unnamed people opened the door to the Astronomy Tower, Severus and Lily stealthily crept out from behind the stone and hurried down the spiral stairs, trying to make as little sound as possible. Just as they were about to reach the bottom floor, Severus tripped on his robes and was sent flying down the rest of the stairs, his wand clattering to the ground.

"Oi! I just heard something downstairs!" said one of the voices, which echoed down the stairs and into the hallway.

Severus climbed to his feet, picked up his wand, grabbed Lily's hand, and they both ran down the long corridor, not bothering to be quiet anymore. He ran with Lily to the Gryffindor common room entrance. Just as she was about enter the doorway, he grabbed her forearm and kissed her passionately, yet quickly. She smiled and made her way through the door, closing it behind her.

Severus was by himself. Running as fast as his scrawny legs would carry him, he dashed through the hallways. He just about reached the stairway to the dungeon, when he was grabbed by the shoulders from behind. Severus gasped and screamed softly. The long slender fingers tightened around his robes and pinched the skin underneath. The voice that spoke then was cold, and as smooth as brass.

"Now I've got you,"

Severus was pulled by his robes down the corridor from which he came, his feet dragging on the polished ground. He struggled to get away, but to no avail. He was thrown into a dark room, and the shady figure approached him with footsteps that seemed as though he were floating. Severus couldn't make out his face, and he was scared.

The voice then quietly mumbled, "Lumos," and the secret identity of his kidnapper was revealed.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 ~ Lemon Drops

As the artificial light of the wand lit the room, Severus looked up into the mysterious mans' eyes. They were bright, blue and misty; not at all what he was expecting. He recognized the mans' aging features at once. It was none other than Hogwarts' Headmaster, Professor Dumbledore. Severus exhaled and relaxed in his grip, feeling the tension of the plight melt away.

"Severus...," Dumbledore began, speaking softly and smoothly, "May I ask why you are causing a raucous in the hallways at this time of night? Or morning, I should say… Well actually, that is pretty argumentative. I suppose it could be considered night, since there is no sun, but it could also be morning, since it is of the A.M hours… Oh, look at me going off topic again. Sometimes I swear I have had a Confundus Charm cast upon me"

He lets go of Severus' arm and steps back. Severus rubs his shoulder as he begins to recount his tale to his favorite Professor. He blushes at the more intimate parts, but continues anyway.

When he finishes, he looks up at Dumbledore, whose eyes bore into him like a jack hammer. Severus averted his eyes to the ground and tapped his toes, but was surprised when the Professor started laughing, jumping and cheering. He was confused, but couldn't help but smile, too.

"Oh, my boy you've done it! You've finally done it," Dumbledore chimed with glee, "I knew this day would come! OH JOY! HAPPY DAY! HAPPY DAY! HOORA-"

Just then, there was a knock on the classroom door. Dumbledore stopped cheering and stood completely still, eying the door intently.

"Yes… who is it?"

"It's Professor Slughorn, sir. I just want to make sure everything is in order in there. Are you having a party without me?"

Severus recognized his voice from the Astronomy Tower. He went wide-eyed and held his breath. Dumbledores' stare didn't waver.

"No… I just found a Lemon Drop on the floor. You know how much I love myself a dusty Lemon Drop. Mmm Mmm." Dumbledore made a quick motion with his hands, rubbing his stomach in slow, wide circles.

"Oh, well okay! Don't have too much fun in there by yourself, Headmaster. You wouldn't want it to end up like last time…"

Professor Slughorns' footsteps could be heard walking down the corridor. The two then relaxed a bit.

Severus looked to Dumbledore for a quick moment and asked, "What happened the last-"

"That isn't of much importance right now," Dumbledore interrupted hastily, shifting his feet awkwardly, "It is a story for another time."

Severus nodded his head and put his hands behind his back.

"It's late. You should go get some rest. I'll tell everyone it was just Peeves…"

"Thank you, Professor."

Dumbledore nodded once and headed for the door. He poked his head out and signaled the coast was clear. Severus made his way into the hallway, and turned toward the stairs. As he rushed down the corridor, he could faintly hear Dumbledore mumble the word, "Silencio". His footsteps were then muffled. He turned around to thank Dumbledore, only to discover he had already disappeared. Severus shrugged it off and continued down the hall. He moved quickly down the dungeon stairs that led to the Slytherin Common Room.

Once he got past the doorway, he tiptoed through the murky room, and into the Dormitory. He crawled onto his bed, retrieved his wand from his robes, and quietly whispered, "Lumos". His wand lit up slightly as he bent over to the edge of the cot to find his journal. He set it on his lap, flipped to the first blank page, and with his feather quill, he wrote:

_September 2, 1971_

_ Today it finally happened. I kissed Lily. Oh the joy. Her sweet lips were as soft as rose petals, and her face was as beautiful as dawn. I am most definitely, passionately, consummately in love with her. Why did that stupid rodent have to ruin our perfect night? I would step on its' puny little skull if I had the chance. I hope it gets eaten by ._

Note to self: Remember to thank Headmaster Dumbledore with a big box of Dusty Lemon Drops.

Severus closed his journal, put it under his cot, pulled the covers to his chin and quietly murmured, "Nox". All was dark, and Severus drifted off into a light, dreamless sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4~ Bellatrix Lestrange

The next morning, Severus had a spring in his step that he wasn't used to, but he liked it. He loved the feeling of being loved, and being loved by Lily. He loved that she loved him and he loved her. It was perfect. She was perfect.

He dressed in his usual loose-fitting robes and tightened his tie around his neck. He held his head high as he grabbed his wand and exited the door of the common room. Today should be a good day, he thought to himself, walking down the wide corridor that led to the Great Hall.

He found the Great Hall as it usually was, swarming with children of all ages, the sweet aroma of that mornings' breakfast tickling his nose. He thought it peculiar, however, that none of the kids were looking at him. They seemed to not notice he was there. Severus looked towards the Gryffindor table to find that not even James was turned his way. He stood for a moment, in the middle of the entryway, pondering as to why this was.

"Hello, Darling!" called Lily from the Gryffindor table.

That's when the somewhat sweet bliss of being unnoticed disappeared, replaced by the ever unnerving feeling of being watched. Severus stood as still as a statue, eyes wider than a doe. It seemed as though there was not one person in that room who didn't have their eyes on him. Even the teaches gave an occasional glance his way. Severus clumsily stammered to the table after being motioned over by Lily's delicate hand.

"Hello, Darling," Lily repeated, her hand resting on his. She gave him a long kiss, pulling his bottom lip as she leaned back. A thunder of response echoed in the hall. Some people were shiny-eyed with infatuation, others were playfully sticking their fingers to the back of their throats and making awful noises. Severus enjoyed the attention, but only because he was with Lily. He would have hated it otherwise.

His favorite reaction, though, was James'. James was sitting kiddy-corner to Severus, and he wouldn't look at him. He played with his food, eyes vacant and his head resting in his left hand. There was only one emotion Severus could depict from the faceless boy, and that was shock. For the second time in that 24 hours, Severus couldn't have been happier. He had the girl of his dreams, and triumphed over his enemy. This is definitely going to be a good day, he thought as he kissed Lily's hand and held it, which received another uproar of gusto.

The entirety of his day was the best he had ever had. It seemed everyone knew him. Not that they didn't before, but it was different. They were smiling; clapping him on the back and shaking his hand. They kept telling him how Lily was a "class A hottie." They're commemorating me on my beautiful girlfriend, Severus mused, fist-pounding a few older-classmen. His teachers even seemed to congratulate him; giving him the best earmuffs while handling Mandrakes, the biggest Bezoar stone for his potions, he was even awarded 10 points for giving the complete definition of a patronus. Severus had a very perfect day.

His flawless day seemed to peak around evening, while all of the students were in the Great Hall for dinner. He sat next to Lily at the Gryffindor table, hoping no one would notice his green tie among the sea of gold. Severus held Lily's hand while they ate, laughing and jesting with her friends.

Severus was just starting up a conversation about Cornish Pixies when he felt a tap on the shoulder. He turned around to find Bellatrix Lestrange, a very strange 6th year, behind him. Her robes were quite tight, and she usually attracted quite a bit of attention from boys. Her hair was up in a high, curly ponytail that billowed outward when she walked. She was also considered a "class A hottie." I wonder why she is over here, thought Severus.

She looked at him up and down before raising her eyebrow and saying: "Look, I don't want to sound like a pest, but us Slytherins think it's a bit odd that you're sitting over here… I mean, isn't this like… treason?" Bellatrix pursed her bright red lips and placed both of her hands on her hips.

Severus didn't know what to say. He fumbled on his words and stammered, "Well… um … all of my friends are in Gryffindor." He turned to face the students he was previously talking to, but they were all picking at their food, quiet as field mice.

Bellatrix rolled her eyes and gave a scornful chuckle. "Seems to me that your friends don't want you here, Severus," she said as she touched his shoulder softly, "Why don't you come sit with us instead?" Bellatrix had moved her hand down Severus' robes to his chest from behind and began to play with his tie when Lily abruptly stood up and gave Bellatrix a strong push. Bellatrix stumbled backward and stood in shock as she looked at Lily's delicate frame.

"How dare you? How dare you speak to Severus that way?" Lily exclaimed as she walked around Bellatrix's staring form, eyeing her intently. "Who do you think you are, walking over here like you think you can just take him away? So what if he's sitting over here! He's wanted here and he wants to be here! Frankly, I don't see anything wrong with that! So go slither back to your table, witch!"

Bellatrix's eyes went wide as she rushed back to the Slytherin table, her feet barely leaving the ground. As she neared her table, Lily yelled across the room: "AND DON'T YOU EVER TOUCH MY BOYFRIEND AGAIN!" and grudgingly sat back down in her seat, fuming. The Great Hall was completely quiet as Lily began to eat. Everyone stared, singling Lily out among the rest of the students. Severus could tell she felt a bit uncomfortable, so he grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the room. He heard a few whistles and hoots emanating from the entryway, but he ignored it, pulling her deeper into the Hallway.

They made a few twists and wrong turns but finally made it to the courtyard. Severus sat Lily down on a small bench near a beautiful flower bed and held her close to him, letting her head fall on his chest. They sat there for a moment, silent, until Severus decided to speak up.

"Lily, what you did back there was amazing. I've never had anybody defend me like that…"

"I'm glad you feel that way, but now I'm probably going to be the laughing stock of the school. I'll never see the end of it from Lestrange, and the Slytherins will most likely hate me forever…and you,"

"Does that really matter anymore? I mean, we've got each other, right? That's got to count for something."

Lily looked up into Severus' eyes and gave him a very faint smile. Teary eyed, she kissed him lightly and nuzzled her face into his body, tracing circles with her fingers on his left hand.

"You're right, Sev. It's everything."

Severus smiled softly, "You're everything."

A small tear rolled down Lily's light cheek, only to be gently swept away by Severus' caring finger. They sat there together the rest of the evening, watching the sun set behind the magical deep purple horizon.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5** **~ A Place to Escape to**

"Severus. Severus! Wake up, Sev!"

Severus stirred awake. Dreamily, he opened his eyes to see Lily's panicked face.

"Wha- Lily? What's wrong, beautiful?" Severus asked, caressing Lily's face with one hand, half-asleep.

"Sev, we fell asleep out here. It's so dark. I can't see anything. I dropped my wand and I can't find it - I could barely find YOU! I'm so scared. I just-" Lily exclaimed in a panic.

"Whoa whoa, Lily, darling, Shh-hh." Severus reassured her, sitting up, "We'll get you inside."

Lily nodded and hugged Severus, her hair billowing outward. The perfumes of her hair wafted to Severus's nose and he softly closed his eyes, taking in every millisecond he spent locked in her arms. She removed herself from him and stood up.

He sleepily followed, pulling out his wand and quietly whispering, "Lumos"

The tip of his wand lit up with such brilliance, both Lily and Severus had to look away. Once their eyes were adjusted, they began walking through the maze of bushes, getting pricked by the occasional rose.

They were almost to the edge of the garden when Severus heard a faint bump and a VERY loud scream.

"Lily!" Severus wailed, "Lily, are you alright? Where are you?"

No answer.

"Lily, Darling! Answer me!"

No answer.

"Lily?"

No answer.

Severus dropped to his knees and began searching the dusty ground with his hands, holding his wand to the dirt. After searching for a few minutes, tears falling down into the dust, he found Lily lying on her side half-under a flowering bush.

"Lily…" Severus wailed, "Oh my God, Lily, get up."

When Lily didn't stir, Severus decided to take action. He hoisted her into his arms and began to run, stumbling over roots and twigs. He held her head to his shoulder and supported her body with his other arm. _Where do I go? Do I risk getting us expelled by going to Madame Pomphrey? No, _He thought, _I know exactly where to go._

Running inside the castle, up seven flights of stairs and down the left hall, Severus was thinking of what he needed._ Be as specific as possible. Okay. I need a room with a warm, cozy bed, a fireplace, a mint plant and a fresh stream of water. Oh! And some bandages! _

Severus paced in front of the correct wall three times, thinking about what he needed. All the while, Lily lay in his arms, her fair skin smothered with dirt. The door appeared in a matter of seconds and he burst through it.

The room was absolutely stunning. Vines laced with lilies crept up the violet walls and a fire was kindling in the fire pit. A soft woolen rug lay beside it and a kettle was heating over the fire. In the far corner, a small stream of sparkling water ran from the ceiling to the floor and pooled in a small pond. Directly in front of him lay a huge double-king bed adorned with at least twenty pillows and a velvet blanket.

He laid Lily down on one side of the bed and removed the comforter from the corner of the other. Severus moved Lily to that side and set her on the warm sheets. He placed the blanket over her bosom and stroked her golden-red hair. _Please be okay._

Severus hurried to the fire where he found a kettle of water heating over the flames. He moved to the mint plant on the mantle and plucked a few of its leaves and threw them into the kettle below.

From there, he retrieved some bandages from the bedside table and soaked them in the pot for a few minutes. He removed and squeezed them, and then proceeded to Lily. She still hadn't moved, but she was breathing. Severus placed the warm bandages on her cuts and wrapped them, being as gentle and careful as possible.

When he had finished, Severus walked over to the fire and laid down beside it. Before he knew it, he was fast asleep.

.

.

.

Severus awoke to the sound of the fire crackling and the clanging of pots. He turned himself toward the sound and sleepily opened his eyes. Lily was hunched over the fire, stirring the contents of the pot.

Severus sat up. "How are you feeling, dear?"

Lily turned and smiled. "Wonderful. Would you like some mint tea?" She gestured toward the pot of steaming liquid.

Severus smiled in return and nodded. "Yeah, actually. I've had a long night."

Lily began to pour the tea. "Thank you so much, Sev. This was so sweet of you, but I must ask… where are we?"

"The Room of Requirement. It's a place to go when you really need somewhere to go. I used to come here all the time when I was younger… it's a great place to escape to."

"Ah," Lily nodded, "I'll remember that."

Lily finished with the tea and handed Severus a cup. She sat down beside him and rested her head on his shoulder.

"I don't know what I would do without you, Sev." She said as she starred delicately into the fire.

Severus smiled and wrapped his arm around Lily with his spare hand. She snuggled closer to him and closed her eyes.

"Can we stay here forever? Just like this?" She asked, innocently.

"We can stay here as long as you want, love."

Lily set her tea down and grabbed Severus's. She set his down as well and shifted her body towards him. She cupped his face with her hands and pulled him towards her. She kissed him ever so gently on the lips with a smile.

"You're so beautiful," Severus said through the kiss but was immediately hushed with another.

"I love you so much," he said, once again interrupted by her sweet lips.

"I'll love you forever," he whispered.

Lily stopped for a moment and looked at him with innocent green eyes and asked, "Until the end of time?"

Severus smiled. "Always."


End file.
